One of my "great commuppences" in life happened during my sophomore year in basketball. I had a friend named Larry - a year or two older than I - who was the starting guard on our varsity squad. I started on the sophomore team. Playing the position of guard in the same program meant that we were constantly scrimmaging against one another. By nature and age, I assumed the role of the "younger brother." Those of you who know me will find it no surprise that I was "chatty" and "scrappy" on the court. Yep. I talked a lot of smack.
One day Larry had enough of my talk and challenged me to a game of "one on one" after practice. (See also -"wanted to put the punk in his place.") I was under no illusions who was going to win - Larry was really that good - but I felt like a good showing against my varsity counterpart would satisfy my belief that I deserved a shot at varsity. The short of it is that I lost badly. The point though is that Larry "called" every shot. He literally told me before it happened what was going to happen. He let me know, in no uncertain terms, who the better player - and the player more deserving of that coveted varsity spot - was.
Perhaps no act in sport illustrates dominance over the opposition more than "calling your shot." Think Babe Ruth pointing his bat at the centerfield bleachers and calling his shot against the Cubs in the '32 World Series. Remember that old television ad of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson "calling" their shots in an epic game of HORSE. When you can call it, you demonstrate a complete mastery of your game and your opponent.
Rewind a couple of millennia. On resurrection day the angel told the women who had come to Jesus' now empty tomb - "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying." (Matt 28:6 nas) It is THE greatest "called it" moment in history. You've got a "chatty" and "scrappy" Satan who has thrown his very best stuff against the Son of God. Satan is self satisfied. He is smug. I mean, you can't argue with death. That's pretty final...
Until the third day - then, Jesus rose from the dead. But then the angel gives us the clue: Jesus called it. Said it before the fact. The Old Testament and the gospels both speak of Jesus' insistence that He would be mistreated at the hands of the Jews, that He would be crucified and die - but that He would raise on the third day. It screams of complete mastery over the universe, over life, over death, and over the power of the enemy. What's that we always hear in sports: It ain't bragging if you can back it up. Well, Jesus didn't just back it up... He called it in advance, well in advance.
This Spring season at The Heights, we are going to focus on that mastery...that Jesus called it. We've launched with a series we have entitled The Road to the Cross. And we will go far beyond the road to the cross. The point of our time together will be that anyone who can show the complete mastery of these things deserves to be followed and worshiped. And not only is Jesus worthy of our attention and devotion, He is able to assist us in the lives that we now lead. He is able to bring us through this experience victorious. And He is able to insure an eternity in heaven. It will be "just as He said."
Join us in that journey. You won't be disappointed.
